Jimmy Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American blues singer.Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Discography 2.1 LP, CD 2.2 DVDs 2.3 Filmography 3 References 4 External links
[edit] Biography
James Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas.[1] He first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. Witherspoon made his first records with Jay McShann's band in 1945. In 1949, recording under his own name with the McShann band, he had his first hit, "Ain't Nobody's Business,"[1] a song which came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him: "No Rollin' Blues", "Big Fine Girl", as well as "Failing By Degrees" and "New Orleans Woman" recorded with the Gene Gilbeaux Orchestra which included Herman Washington and Don Hill on the Modern Records label. These were recorded from a live performance on May 10, 1949 at a "Just Jazz" concert Pasadena, CA sponsored by Gene Norman. Another classic Witherspoon composition is "Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough".
Witherspoon's style of blues - that of the "blues shouter" - became unfashionable in the mid-1950s, but he returned to popularity with his 1959 album, Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which featured Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines and Mel Lewis, among others.[2] He later recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Leroy Vinnegar, Richard "Groove" Holmes and T-Bone Walker.[1]
In 1961 he toured Europe with Buck Clayton and returned to the UK on many occasions, featuring on a mid-sixties live UK recording Spoon Sings and Swings (1966) with tenor sax player Dick Morrissey's quartet. In 1970, he appeared on Brother Jack McDuff's London Blue Note recording To Seek a New Home together with British jazz musicians, including Terry Smith and Dick Morrissey. In the 1970s he also recorded the album Guilty! (later released on CD as Black & White Blues) with Eric Burdon[1] and featuring Ike White & the San Quentin Prison Band. He then toured with a band of his own featuring Robben Ford and Russ Ferrante. A recording from this period, Spoonful, featured 'Spoon' accompanied by Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Thad Jones and Bernard Purdie.[3] He continued performing and recording into the 1990s.[3]
Other performers with whom Witherspoon recorded include Jimmy Rowles, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Vernon Alley, Mel Lewis, Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, John Clayton, Paul Humphrey, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Smith, Long John Baldry, Junior Mance, Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode, Kenny Clarke, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Mullen, Count Basie, Gene Gilbeaux and others.
Witherspoon died of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California on September 18, 1997.[4] [edit] Discography This article may need to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help by adding relevant internal links, or by improving the article's layout. (July 2010)
[edit] LP, CD 1959 Battle of the Blues, Vol. 3 Deluxe 1959 Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann Black Lion 1959 Singin' the Blues Blue Note 1960 Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival [live] 1961 Spoon Collectables Records 1961 There's Good Rockin' Tonight World Pacific 1962 A Spoonful of Blues Who's Who in Jazz 1962 Roots Collectables Recordes 1962 Hey Mrs. JonesCollectables Records 1962 RootsCollectables Records 1963 Baby Baby Baby Bluesville/Original Blues Classics 1963 Mean Old Frisco Prestige Records 1963 Evenin' Blues Prestige/Original Blues Classics 1963 Blues Around the Clock Obc 1964 Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues Original Blues Classics 1964 Blue Spoon Concord Jazz 1964 Goin' to Chicago Prestige 1965 Blues for Spoon and Groove Surrey 1965 Spoon in London 1966 Blue Point of View 1966 Blues Box 1966 Blues for Easy Livers Original Blues Classics 1966 In Person Verve 1967 The Blues Is Now Verve 1968 Spoonful of Soul Verve 1969 Blues Singer BluesWay 1970 Handbags & Gladrags ABC Music 1970 Huhh BluesWay 1971 GuiltyUnited Artists Records 1973 Groovin'& Spoonin' Original Music 1974 Jimmy Witherspoon & Ben Webster Verve 1975 Love Is a Five Letter Word Rhino 1975 SpoonfulAvenue (Rhino) 1976 Live: Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford Rhino 1976 LiveCrosscut (Germany) 1980 Jimmy Witherspoon with Panama Francis & the Savoy Sultans Sings the Blues Muse 1980 Spoon's Life Evidence 1981 Big Blues JSP 1985 Patcha, Patcha, All Night Long Pablo 1986 Midnight Lady Called the Blues Muse 1988 Rockin' L.A. Fantasy 1989 'Spoon Concerts Fantasy 1990 Live at Condon's Who's Who in Jazz 1991 Call Me Baby Night Train 1992 Live at the Notodden Festival Blue Rock'It 1992 The Blues, the Whole Blues & Nothing But the ... Buy Now! Indigo 1993 Hot Licks: Ain't Nobody's Business Sound Solutions 1993 Blowin' In From Kansas City Ace 1994 Amazing Grace Delta Distribution 1995 Spoon's Blues Stony Plain 1995 Ain't Nothin' New About the Blues [live] Aim Records 1995 Taste of Swing Time Tuff City Records 1995 American Blues Rhino 1996 Live at the Mint Private Music 1996 'Spoon & Groove Rykodisc 1997 Tougher Than Tough Blue Moon 1997 Jimmy Witherspoon With The Junior Mance Trio Stony Plain 1998 Jazz Me Blues: The Best Of Jimmy Witherspoon Prestige 2000 Big Boss Man [live] Starburst Recordings 2000 Jimmy Witherspoon with the Duke Robillard Band [live] Stony Plain 2000 Same Old Blues Catfish 2001 Goin' to Chicago Tim 2001 Sings Blues Aim 2002 Spoon Meets Pau Eureka 2002 Goin' Around the Circles Past Perfect (UK) 2003 Sings The Blues Sessions Ace 2004 Very Best Of Jimmy Witherspoon: Miss Miss Mistreater Collectables 2004 1948-1949 Classics 2006 1950-1951 Classics 2006 Ain't Nobody's Business SnapperLive 2008 Live At The 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival Monterey Jazz Festival 2009 Doctor Blues Blues Boulevard 2009 Olympia Concert CD Baby 2010 Live 59 [edit] DVDs 2003 20th Century Jazz Masters: Mel Tormé/Jimmy Witherspoon/Carmen McRae/Lambert,Hendricks & Bavan 2003 Jimmy Rushing / Jimmy Witherspoon Jazz Casual 2009 Goin' Down Blues [edit] Filmography 2000 Jazz Casual: Jimmy Witherspoon & Ben Webster (Jazz Casual/Idem)[5] 2009 Jimmy Witherspoon: Goin' Down Blues with Marshall Royal and John Collins
